Air-compressor.



No. 663,l26'. 'Pamd' Dec; 4, I900.

. H. LIETHEGENER. I

AIR COMPRESSOR.

(Application filed May 7, 1900.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheets$heet 2.

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I UNITED STATES PATENT Orricn.

HENRY Ll-ETHEGENER, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOSEPH ZENTNER AND ADAM KLEMM, OF SAME PLACE.

AIR-COM PRESSOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 663,126, dated December 4, 1900.

Application filed May 7, 1900.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY LIETHEGENER, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Air-Compressors, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which Figure l is a top plan view of my improved air -compressor with the cover removed to more clearly show the interior mechanism. Fig. 2 is a side elevational view, the casing being shown in section. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view on line 3 3, Fig.1. Fig. 4 is a sectional view on line 4 4, Fig. 3; and Fig. 5 is a sectional view on line 5 5, Fig. 4:.

This invention relates to a new and useful improvement in air-compressors, the object being to compress air with the expenditure of a very small amount of applied energy.

With this object in view the invention consists in arranging rolling weights on an annular track, in the path of which weights are a system of levers connected to a plunger and an air-compressing cylinder, said levers being so arranged that moving in a given direction they compress the plunger in a certain position and in another position elevate said plunger in readiness for another depression.

Another feature of the invention resides in the novel construction of the plunger in the cylinder, and finally the invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts, all as will hereinafter be described and afterward pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, A indicates a suitable housing, which is preferably built on a' solid foundation, said housing consisting of side walls and a suitable roof or cover which may be made of appropriate material, but preferably cement.

B indicates an annular track arranged on the foundation, said track supporting rolling weights 0, mounted upon frame D, having its pivot-point in the center of the track. Ball-bearings are preferably used both for Serial No. 15,800. (No model.)

the rolling weights and the rotating frame. Power derived from some suitable source is used to rotate the frame D, such as gearing, and driven by an engine, or, if desired, the roof of the housing may be removed and an arm extended beyond the walls thereof, to which arm may be hitched a horse to furnish the .power to rotate the frame D and cause the rolling weights to travel around the annular track.

Arranged adjacent to the annular track, preferably externally thereof, are a series of cylinders E, containing the plungers F,\vhose rods f extend upwardly and are guided in their vertical movements by suitable brackets.

G indicates a lever pivoted to the plungerrod, one end of said lever having a link connection 9 arranged beneath the plane of the tread of the track.

H indicates a restoring-lever, one end of which preferably carries a roller 71., hearing on the under side of the free end of lever G. Lever His pivoted in a suitable bracket, the normal position of-said lever being that shown in full lines in Fig. 3, wherein it will be seen that the outer end thereof occupies a position substantially in the plane of the tread of the track.

Lever G is arranged in juxtaposition to the track, and when the rolling weight contacts therewith said lever is depressed, carrying withit the plunger-rod f. Depression of lever G also effects the depression of the inner end of lever H, and the elevation of the outer end of said lever H is shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3. The travel of the rolling weight will lift the lever G, and when said rolling weight engages the outer end of lever H, depressing the same, the inner end of said lever H, cooperating with the free end of lever G, acts to restore said lever G, and in so doing elevates the plunger in the cylinder. Lever G remains in this elevated position until it is again depressed and raised by the next succeeding rolling weight. The outer end of lever H is preferably weighted or made heavy enough to sustain the lever G and its carried plunger in an elevated position.

.As shown in Fig. 1, there are preferably an unequal number of cylinders and their associate operating-levers disposed equidistantly around the track and an equal number of rolling weights cooperating therewith. By this arrangement when one rolling weight is in operation the momentum of the idle rolling weight serves to assist the operatingweight in its work.

In Figs. 4 and 5 I have shown the construction of the plunger and cylinder, wherein it will be seen that the cylinder, which I have marked E, is provided with a perforated head and a discharge-pipe J, leading from the bottom of said cylinder and containing a suitable check-valve for well-known purposes, said discharge-pipe leading to a reservoir or other desired point of discharge. Plunger F consists, preferably, of two disks, with an interposed filling material and a cup-leather packing. The plunger is formed with openings near its center, through which the air drawn in through the perforated cap on the downstroke of the plunger passes when the plunger is being raised. A valve K, carrying a leather disk designed to be seated against the under face of the plunger and close the openings therethrough, has its stem kprojecting up into the plunger-rod f, being held in such position by a cross-pin koperating in a vertical slot in the plunger-rod to permit the valve to have a limited vertical movement. By this construction the air enters the top of the cylinder, passes through the plunger, and is compressed by the plunger in its descent and forced beyond the outwardly-opening check-valve in the discharge-pipe J.

I am aware that'many minor changes in the arrangement, construction, and combination of the several parts of my device can be made and substituted for those herein shown and described withoutin the least departing from the nature and principle of my invention.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with a rolling weight, of a lever G in the path thereof and engaged and depressed thereby, a plunger connected to said lever, and a lever H in the path of said rolling weight and acting when depressed to raise the lever G, substantially as described.

2. In an air-compressor, the combination of a track, a rollingweighton said track, means for operating said weight, a compressing-cylinder adjacent said track, a plunger therein, a leverfulcrumed beside said track connected to said plunger and arranged so as to be engaged and depressed by said weight, a second lever fulcrumed adjacent said track in position to be engaged and depressed by said weight, said second lever engaging said first lever and acting when depressed by said weight to raise said first lever and plunger, substantially as described.

3. In an air-compressor, the combination of a track, a rolling weight on said track, means for operating said weight, a compressing-cylinder beside said track, a plunger therein having a rod extending up beside the track, a lever having a fulcrum at one end beside the track connected intermediate its ends to said plunger and having its free end extending in position to be engaged and depressed by said weight, a bent lever fulcrumed beside said track intermediate its ends and having its one end slidably engaging the free end of the first lever and its other end extending in position to be engaged and depressed by said weight, said second lever acting when depressed by said weight to raise said first lever and said plunger, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses, this 4th day of May, 1900.

HENRY LIETHEGENER.

Witnesses:

WM. H. SooTT, A. S. GRAY. 

